The FAFCO Baby Bear is an above-ground swimming pool solar heating solution designed to extend your swimming season by warming your pool water using the sun's energy. This solar collector is proudly manufactured in the United States, reflecting a commitment to high-quality, long-lasting products since 1969. The Baby Bear system helps users save money on energy costs and reduces the environmental impact associated with traditional pool heating methods.
Function Description
The core function of the Baby Bear solar pool heater is to harness solar radiation to increase the temperature of your swimming pool water. The system operates on a simple, efficient principle:
- Solar Absorption: Sunshine directly heats the solar collector, which is specifically designed to absorb maximum solar energy.
- Water Circulation: Your existing swimming pool pump circulates pool water through the heated solar collector. This means the Baby Bear integrates seamlessly with your current pool filtration system, utilizing the pump you already have.
- Heat Transfer: As pool water flows through the collector, it absorbs the heat collected from the sun.
- Return to Pool: The now solar-heated water flows back into your pool, gradually raising its overall temperature.
This continuous cycle ensures that your pool water is consistently warmed as long as the sun is shining and the pump is running. The Baby Bear is specifically designed for use with above-ground swimming pools and their associated equipment, ensuring compatibility and optimal performance within this context.
Usage Features
The Baby Bear solar pool heater offers several features that make it user-friendly and effective for above-ground pool owners:
- Easy Integration: The system is designed to connect directly to your existing pool filter and return lines. It uses standard 1-1/2 inch hoses and clamps, making it compatible with most above-ground pool setups. If your pool has threaded hose connections, an adapter from your pool manufacturer or a local supply store may be needed.
- Optimal Angle for Solar Collection: The Baby Bear comes with assembled legs and supports that position the solar collector at an ideal angle for maximizing solar collection. This built-in tilt ensures efficient heat absorption without the need for complex adjustments.
- Flexible Placement: The collector should be placed on flat, unshaded ground near the pool. The key is to select a location that receives full sunlight exposure for most of the day, allowing the system to operate at its peak efficiency. The tilted portion of the collector should ideally face South to capture the most sunlight.
- Simple Connection Process: Installation involves connecting one flexible hose from the pool filter directly to the inlet of the Baby Bear and a second flexible hose from the outlet of the solar collector directly into the pool inlet. Hose clamps are used to secure these connections, which should be hand-tightened to prevent leaks without overtightening, which could warp the hose.
- Pump-Driven Operation: The Baby Bear relies on your pool's existing pump to circulate water. Once connected, simply turn on your pool pump to begin the heating process.
- Adjustable Operation for Comfort: To prevent cooling your pool, it's recommended to turn off the solar collector and/or pump at night, when it's cloudy, or when it's raining. For optimal heating, operate the solar collector whenever it is in the sun. If your pool system has a timer, setting it to operate during peak solar hours (e.g., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) is ideal.
- Cooling Functionality: If your pool becomes too warm during the season, you can run the pump and solar collector at night to help cool the pool down.
- Enhanced Heating with Pool Blanket: Using a pool blanket in addition to the solar system is highly recommended. A blanket helps retain the warmth in the pool and accelerates the heating process, especially at night or on windy days.
- Flow Rate Consideration: The maximum flow through the Baby Bear should not exceed 30 gallons per minute (gpm) per panel. Connecting the Baby Bear may slightly decrease the water flow through the filter and back to the pool. To ensure proper filtration, longer pump run times might be necessary. It's important to check your pool pump's user manual to avoid exceeding its maximum run time and prevent damage.
Maintenance Features
Proper maintenance, particularly winterization, is crucial for the longevity and continued performance of your Baby Bear solar pool heater:
- Winterization Procedure: To prevent freeze damage, which is not covered under warranty, the solar collector must be completely drained and isolated before winter, defined as anytime the air temperature is below 40°F. The recommended steps for winterization include:
- Turning off the pool pump and plugging the pool inlet and outlet.
- Disconnecting the solar collector from the pool system.
- Manually lifting and draining the solar collector. This involves unmounting it and tilting it back and forth until no water remains inside.
- Storing the solar collector in a conditioned space where the temperature remains above 40°F for the winter.
- Capping off any open pipe or hose connections to prevent debris from entering.
- After winterizing the solar collector, the pool pump, filter, and sweep can continue to be used as needed for the winter season.
- Important Winterization Notes: Operating the solar system during freezing conditions is not an approved freeze-protection method. Additionally, methods like blowing the lines and/or solar collectors with a shop vacuum, leaf blower, or compressor are not approved for completely removing water and are therefore not considered adequate freeze-protection methods. Manual draining is essential.
- Leak Prevention: During installation, it's important to hand-tighten hose clamps to prevent leaks. If leaks occur, slightly loosening the clamps may resolve the issue, as overtightening can warp the hose.
- Regular Leak Checks: After connecting the system and turning on the pump, always check for any leaks at the ends of the flexible hoses to ensure a secure setup.
The FAFCO Baby Bear is designed to be a reliable and low-maintenance addition to your above-ground pool, providing warm water for a more enjoyable swimming experience throughout the season, with straightforward installation and clear guidelines for seasonal care.
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